Seven Spring Cleaning Tips to Revitalize Your Home

Who needs that tedious, time-consuming spring-cleaning process? No one enjoys spending the entire day on their hands and knees, rag in hand. But with the following spring cleaning tips in your arsenal, you can get the most out your routine. Here's how to clean for spring more efficiently:

1. CLEAN THE SHADES

Taking curtains and drapes down to wash them or lugging them to the laundromat can add cleaning hours to your routine. Here's a safe workaround: Spray the curtains with an odor-eliminating product. Use a steamer and work your way over the material, from the bottom to the top. Be sure to do a spot test with a small corner of your curtain before you try this method out on the whole set. Better Homes And Gardens recommends vacuuming drapes with an upholstery vacuum attachment for a quick clean.

2. DON'T JUST MAKE THE BED - FRESHEN IT

Over the course of a year, your mattress takes a ton of pressure. You run the sheets through the laundry, sure, but what about the mattress itself? How does it get clean? A quick way to freshen it up in the spring involves removing all the bedding and sprinkling baking soda evenly across the surface. Let it sit for an hour or two, then use a vacuum to clean up the baking soda (and dust mites, odors, etc.) before you remake your bed with freshly washed sheets.

3. ATTACK THE MICROWAVE

It's easy to ignore the inside of the microwave when you're rushing to heat up food. To cut your spring cleaning routine down, give the microwave a good steam cleaning while you tackle another kitchen cleaning task. Instead of painstakingly scrubbing crusted-on food, fill a bowl with equal parts water and vinegar. Place it in the microwave and run it for five to 10 minutes. You'll be able to easily wipe grime and food off the microwave's interior.

4. PUT YOUR DISHWASHER TO WORK

Your dishwasher isn't limited to cleaning your dishes. Next time you unload your dishwasher, load up your unit with dirty vases and dishwasher-safe decor from around your home. You'll avoid having to spend hours in front of the sink scrubbing grime, and instead, the items will be spotless once the cycle is complete.

5. GIVE FURNITURE A ONCE-OVER

For all the time you spend watching TV, eating or talking with family, you leave a great deal of residual dirt, grime and grease on your furniture. Purchase a dry-cleaning sponge to get rid of this buildup. First, remove the cushions from each piece. Blot the furniture's upholstery with the sponge, rubbing in circular motions to lift spot stains that may still be visible on the surface. Take a lint roller and run it over the cushions, and vacuum the piece with a soft extension hose before replacing them. Keep in mind this is a much dicier approach to leather.

6. START AT THE TOP

Especially when dusting, it's important to begin cleaning on the second floor, then work your way down. In addition, to dust each room, start at the top of the space and gradually collect the waste as you cover a lower item. This way, as the dust falls, you won't repeat the cleaning to catch it, and it'll make spring cleaning a breeze.

7. CLEAN THE WALLS

Instead of using a rag and bucket to manually clean each wall, try a microfiber mop that can trap dust. The longer pole makes for quick cleaning, whereas the microfiber cloth will ease the amount of elbow grease you'll need for longer, more strenuous projects -- and cut your spring cleaning time in half.

With these creative spring cleaning tips for your home, you'll get more out of the time you spend scrubbing. Repeat this process every season, and your home will sparkle and shine year-round.

This article was brought to you by Colgate-Palmolive Company, the makers of Murphy® Oil Soap. The views and opinions expressed by the author do not reflect the position of the Colgate-Palmolive Company.